Inkstand



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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWELL EVANS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

INKSTAND.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 26,755, dated January 10, 1860.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWELL EVANS, of'

the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Inkstand; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My improved ink-stand consists of an ink-stand having a cup s hapedmouth into which the pen may be dipped, the said reservoir being connected or hung to a suitable stand and so arranged in respect to an adjusting screw or screws, that by operating the latter the vessel may be tilted on its stand thereby causing the ink to flow either to or from the cup shaped mouth as fully described hereafter.

The object of my invention has been to produce a cheap and simple inkstand in which the main body of ink may remain unexposed to dust and dirt, and in which a constant and uniform supply of ink may be maintained in the dipping cup, and this Without any of the complicated appliances which in other inkstands constructed for the same purpose, require constant attention, adjustment and cleaning.

In order to enable others to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

On reference to the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification, Figure 1, is a vertical section of my improved inkstand; Fig. 2, a. plan view; Fig. 3, a modified form of my improved inkstand; Fig. 4f, the same as Fig. 3, with the position of the reservoir altered; Fig. '5, a plan view of Figs. 3 and 4L; Figs. 6 and 7, represent another modification of my improved inkstand.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

On reference to Figs. 1 and 2, A represents the stand, and B the reservoir for containing the ink. This reservoir consists of a vessel of glass, metal, or other suitable material, and (as represented in the drawing) is of a circular form, at on the top and convex on the under-side so as to be adapted to the concave cup shaped stand A. The latter has an opening in front to admit the neck of the dipping cupa which projects from and forms a part of the reservoir B, the cup being open at the top and being It will be observed that the cup of the stand.

A is somewhat larger than the body of the reservoir B which, however, iitsso close to the upper edge of the stand as to preventV any excessive lateral play of the reservoir. The sharp edged projection c is the only point where the reservoir rests on the stand, and this projection being situated in front of the center of gravity of the reservoir, the weight of the latter and its contents will cause the projecting portion of the vessel to bear upward against the` end of the set screw L. On screwing down the latter the dipping cup a will be depressed and the ink in the body of the vessel will pass over the bridge b and iiow into the cup where its depth may be increased at pleasure by simply turning the set screw so as to tilt the vessel further over in front. It will be readily seen that by this arrangement the main body of the ink is retained in the vessel free from the access of dust and dirt, and comparatively free from exposure to the air.

In order to impart additional steadiness to the vessel, a spring a; on the stand (shown in red lines in Fig. l) may be arranged to press on the top of t-he reservoir, which will be thereby more steadily confined to the stand. By arranging the fulcrum point e however, so that it may be nearer the screw, as seen in Figs. 3, 4i and 5, the overhanging portion of the vessel will present a leverage by which it is confined steadily between the said fulcrum point and the point of the screw. As illustrated in the last named ligures, both the stand and the reservoir are of a modied form, the same principle however being maintained. The stand in this instance consists of a simple metal ring closed on the top with the exception of an opening just large enough to admit the main body of the reservoir and allow it to vibrate freely on the fixed point, which is nearer the screw 71, than in the above described views. The reservoir B, too, is of a form differing somewhat from that shown in Figs. l and 2, its shape on the under side in respect to that of the projecting cup being such that when the rear or overhanging portion of the vessel is allowed to Jfall by raising the screw, the ink will fall back over the bridge Z into the body of the vessel, leaving the cup nearly empty. When the screw is turned so as to raise the rear of the vessel however, the ink will flow back into the projecting cup and will there retain the same level-as the ink in the reservoir, so that the constant dipping of the pen into the cup does not diminish the depth of the ink in the latter to any greater extent than if the pen was dipped directly into the body of the reservoir. When the ink in the reservoir, and consequently in the cup, 'becomes diminished, a slight turn of the screw will tilt the reservoir and increase the depth of the ink in the dipping cup. This depression of the cup may be repeated at such intervals as circumstances require, until the whole of the ink in the reservoir is consumed, when the vessel may be readily refilled by pouring the ink into it through the neck of the cup. Y

In the modification-illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 the vessel is provided with trunnions e e which t into bearings on the opposite side of the stand A. A bridge d is secured to the upper edge of the stand, and through this bridge pass two set screws the ends of which bear upon the vessel, one on each side of its center of vibration. By tightening one screw and slackening the other, the front of the reservoir with its cap a can be raised or depressed at pleasure the two screws together serving to secure the reservoir steadily to the stand after adjustment.

It will be readily seen without further description that the above described inkstand affords a constant supply of ink in a prominent and handy position Vfor the dipping of the pen, while the main body of the ink is maintained in a position free from exposure to dust and other impurities, that the dipping cup may be readily emptied when the supply is not required, and that it may be as readily relilled by the simple turning of the screw orscrews L, and that the entire inkstand is of the mostsimple construction, free from that complication Vof parts which detracts from the ,merits of many inlrstandsV devised for accomplishing the ends above described.

It will be evident that both the stand and reservoir of my improved inkstand may be varied in form without altering the result, and that both admit of being highly ornamented and made of diierent materials. It will also be evident that the reservoir may be so connected to the stand as to vibrate, by arrangements other than those shown.

Without confining myself therefore to the precise form and construction of parts herein described, I claim Vas my invention and desire to secure by'Letters Patent- The reservoir B, with its cup shaped mouth a., constructed substantially as described, and so hung to any suitablestand A and arranged in respect to the screw or screws 71 or their equivalents, that by operating the said screw or screws, the reservoir will be so tilted on the stand as to cause the ink to flow either to Vand from the cup shaped mouth, for the .purpose specified. i

In testimony whereof, I have signed Amy name to this specification before two sub* scribing witnesses.

HOWELL EVANS. l/Vitnesses HENRY HowsoN, CHAs. E. FOSTER. 

